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IMPLEMENTING WASTE RECYCLING LAWS Who was that senatorial candidate who boldly declared that if elected, he would not propose any new laws because we already have enough? Crazy as he might have sounded to some, there is a ring of truth to his words. We do have enough laws. The real problem is that we are far too slow in implementing them—even though we are too fast in passing them. Yes, that is the grand irony of our legislative system: we keep churning out new laws, yet we neglect to implement them. Equally ironic is that we do not revisit our old laws that clearly need to be updated. In fact, the “new” laws we need are those that refine and modernize existing ones—not add to the pile of unread statutes collecting dust. Talking of ironies, one of the most glaring is how our environmental laws are being ignored—ironically treated like garbage. Republic Act No. 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, is a prime example. Despite its clear and detailed mandates, it is...

SOME NOTES ABOUT MODERN AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY Modern agriculture is a relative term. It is “modern” only when compared to what came before—what we might now call old, traditional, or antiquated agriculture. Simply put, all the old ways of doing agriculture—plowing with carabaos, planting without improved seeds, relying solely on rain—do not fall under the banner of modern practices. What, then, distinguishes modern agriculture from the old? The answer lies in one word: innovation . Innovation is the key that unlocks progress in any field—including farming. Whether we’re talking about developing drought-resistant crops, using drones for pest control, or automating irrigation, it’s innovation that turns subsistence farming into sustainable agriculture. Innovation can take many forms: Incremental innovations improve existing tools or methods little by little. Disruptive innovations shift the game entirely—think of how mechanized farming changed everything....

SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD PROGRAMS VERSUS FOOD HANDOUTS As I understand it, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has been implementing a Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) aimed at empowering individuals and families to break free from the cycle of poverty. This program has become particularly relevant for graduates of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) , who are being offered the chance to start their own livelihood projects. The idea is simple yet profound: those who have been receiving assistance should eventually be able to stand on their own. This brings to mind the age-old proverb, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." At its core, the saying illustrates the enduring truth that teaching people skills is far more valuable than giving them temporary aid. The former empowers; the latter sustains only momentarily. It’s essential that we understand the distinction between po...

LET US START USING PACKAGING MADE FROM CASSAVA It is an idea whose time has come. Cassava-based packaging is such a simple idea that all along it was right under our noses, or should I say, it was right under our feet. And to add to that, it is not even rocket science. But as the saying goes, “this could be the greatest thing since sliced bread.” What is good about it is that the materials are not imported, because it is locally grown. From where I come from in Mindanao, cassava is seen as a poor man’s food. Over there, you are considered poor if you eat corn, and you are even poorer if you eat cassava tubers ( kamoteng kahoy).  Perhaps in the urban areas, you are considered rich if you eat Idaho potatoes, and you are considered poor if you eat sweet potatoes ( kamote ). But if you eat  kamoteng kahoy , you might be considered poorer. But enough of that, because the way it is now, cassava could become the new gold. And what could be poetic justice, planting cassava instead of ...